It’s nearly tea party time again and lately I’ve been thinking about all the changes that the tea party movement has seen in the past year of its existence.  There’s one moment that particularly stands out in my mind.

My hometown of Salina, KS held a tea party on a grassy hill on April 15th where I saw my friend Heidi.  When I finished talking and stepped down, she was waiting for me with a question: “Can this really make a difference?”  Heidi identified at the beginning of the movement something that many individuals have yet to realize one year in- that while protesting is meaningful and rallies are important, that real change begins only when the sign-waving turns into implementing.

In the past year since the April 15th tea parties, I’ve personally met more than one thousand people who are asking the same question that Heidi asked- how do we make a difference?  People like Jeff in Pennsylvania who drove through a wall of traffic after work one Thursday night to attend an activist training that barely had him home before midnight; or like Julles in Nebraska who drove four hours on a Saturday morning to attend a grassroots organizing training, because that was the nearest one.  Both organized the tea parties in their communities; both realized they needed to do something more than protest.

So nearly one year after the tea parties first swept through the nation, I finally know the answer to Heidi’s question.  This past year has seen legislative victories through tenth amendment sovereignty resolutions that many tea party groups have championed; it’s seen national strides in the pushback, delay and moderation of health control legislation that tampers with our basic freedoms; it stunned pundits and political scholars when a candidate backed by tea party groups across the nation dared to take back the people’s seat in Massachusetts.

All that didn’t happen just because of protests and rallies, though they played a key role.  It happened because average people with jobs, families and mortgages chose to engage in the unglamorous task of taking back our nation: organizing in their community, carpooling to the state legislature, testifying in committees, writing their elected officials, and talking to their friends and neighbors about the importance of standing up for liberty.  So here’s your answer Heidi: yes, we really can make a difference.  If we choose to do the hard work, to implement the freedom we rally for, then we’ll keep looking back as we near the one-year point and know that we made a difference.  And then we’ll look ahead to 2010 and we’ll know: the best is yet to come.

Below is a list of tea parties planned in Kansas.  If you know of one that isn’t on the list, or if you would like to volunteer to distribute American Majority literature, please contact me at Rebekah@AmericanMajority.org or 913-940-7369.

Ready to move past tea parties and rallies?  It’s time to register for the Post Party Summits!  Happening in seven different cities across the nation in April and May, these summits will provide the tools, political training and encouragement you need to take back our country, one community at a time.  Find out more and get registered today at summit.americanmajority.org.

Next month, American Majority, one of America’s premiere organizations for conservative activist training will do something unprecedented. It will unleash 30 citizen activists from more than 20 states to begin training in their local regions.

For years, the left has dominated in the area of citizen involvement, but American Majority is fighting back. No, Arianna Huffington, they are not encouraging violence. Conservatives have somehow been duped into believing that our only course of action against the socialist takeover of our country is to vote every two years. As was stated very clearly in Pennsylvania last August, a sleeping giant has been awakened. This fire was ignited with the Tea Parties, continued with the Town Halls and is spreading daily as our elected officials consistently choose to ignore us.

So Americans are awake, now what? That is where American Majority comes in. Although rallies and protests have been vital to this great awakening, they will not in themselves turn this country around. We have a lot of ground to make up and a very short time to do it. American Majority is dedicated to equipping conservative soldiers with the weapons (not real weapons) that they need to succeed. This arsenal includes knowledge of American history, social media skills, campaigning techniques and coalition building.

I am excited to begin training for American Majority here in Missouri in the very near future. My plan is to conduct these trainings frequently in the surrounding areas, so please watch the calendar and encourage friends and family to attend. Of course, all trainings will be announced here.

Until then, check out all of the great resources here at AmericanMajority.org and sign up to receive updates about future events in your area. I look forward to seeing you there!

This article is cross-posted at RestoringPrinciples.com and FranklinCountyPatriots.org

A common debate this year has been that of whether the 17th Amendment was a good idea or if it should be repealed. There are many arguments against the 17th Amendment, but perhaps the best is before us now with the current U.S. Senate race. Senator Kit Bond will be retiring at the end of the current term, and 18 candidates have filed for that spot. According to media and even local bloggers, however, there are really only two candidates who are vying for the seat – Roy Blunt (R) and Robin Carnahan (D). We have the 17th Amendment largely to thank for that.

No other candidate can compete financially with these two candidates. Conservative estimates say that the race will take over 10 million dollars to win. This is out of control.

According to Article I, Section III of the U.S. Constitution, “The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, chosen by the Legislature thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote.” This was the states’ way of protecting themselves against an overreaching federal government. According to the “Father of the Constitution,” James Madison, “The state legislatures also ought to have some means of defending themselves against the encroachments of the national government…And what better means can be provided than by giving them some share in, or rather make them a constituent part of, the national government?” The state legislature provided a check on the senators in DC.

With the ratification of the 17th Amendment, the states lost that power. Now, rather than U.S. Senators getting elected by proving to state legislatures that they will act in the best interest of the state, they are forced to raise tens of millions of dollars to saturate the television, internet and radio with advertisements promoting themselves and attempting to discredit their opponents.

So if the 17th Amendment were repealed and we were once again governed under the original intents of the Founders in the Constitution, and the Senator were being chosen by the legislators based on his loyalty to the state of Missouri, would Roy Blunt and Robin Carnahan still be the only two candidates that the media were willing to talk about? Probably not.

Our nation was founded by ordinary citizen activists desiring a government that was accountable to the people.  Today, ordinary citizens across our nation are tired of the status quo and ready to engage for the betterment of their communities.

American Majority Kansas is pleased to announce an Activist Training will be conducted on Saturday, March 27^th in Joplin, MO to provide citizens with the tools necessary to become effective activists

The training will take place at Granny Shaffer’s Trolley Room located at from 10:00am to 2:00pm.  Registration opens at 9:45am.  The cost is $20 if you pre-register online by March 12^th and $25 at the door.  Pre-registration is strongly encouraged.

Topics* to be covered during the Training include:

• Building Effective Coalitions and Reaching Your Community (ideas and practical steps to engage your community and organize your group of volunteers)
• Government 101 (how local, state and national government structures operate)
• Holding Government Accountable (how to hold leaders accountable once they are in office by attending meetings, contacting them effectively and more)
• Precinct Power and Volunteering in Campaigns (how to be an effective volunteer and affect change in your community)
• Effectively Communicating Your Views (how to write effective letters to the editor, opinion editorials and blogs, using social networking tools such as Twitter and Facebook, and wiki projects)

Full training materials, samples and supplements will be provided to help you apply what you learn to your organization, candidate, cause or community.  Lunch will be provided.

If you have any questions or would like additional information, call Beka Romm at 913-940-7369 or e-mail Rebekah@AmericanMajority.org.

American Majority is a non-profit and non-partisan organization whose mission is to train and equip a national network of leaders committed to individual freedom through limited government and the free market.

American Majority together with The John Hancock Committee for the States, RedState.com and SmartGirl Politics are joining forces to provide a roadmap for conservative activists on how to take back their communities and effectively engage in state and local politics. These events, called Post-Party Summits: Organizing for a Free America will be held in seven cities across the country.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

List of Cities, Dates and Events

• April 23-24
  Pittsburgh, PA
  Embassy Suites Pittsburgh Airport
  550 Cherrington Parkway
  Coraopolis, PA 15108
  REGISTER NOW

• April 30 – May 1
  Denver, CO
  Embassy Suites Hotel Denver Aurora
  4444 North Havana Street
  Denver, CO 80239
  REGISTER NOW

• April 30 – May 1
  Indianapolis, IN
  Wyndham Indianapolis West
  2544 Executive Drive
  Indianapolis, IN 46241
  REGISTER NOW

• May 1
  Jacksonville, FL
  Embassy Suites Jacksonville
  9300 Baymeadows Road
  Jacksonville, Florida 32256
  REGISTER NOW

• May 7-8
  Boston, MA
  Crowne Plaza Boston North Shore
  50 Ferncroft Road
  Danvers, MA 01923
  REGISTER NOW

• May 7-8
  Charlotte, NC
  Hilton Charlotte University Place
  8629 JM Keynes Drive
  Charlotte, NC 28262
  REGISTER NOW

• May 7-8
  Kansas City, MO
  Embassy Suites KC – Int. Airport
  7640 NW Tiffany Springs Parkway
  Kansas City, MO 64153
  REGISTER NOW
  

American Majority together with The John Hancock Committee for the States, RedState.com and SmartGirl Politics are joining forces to provide a roadmap for conservative activists on how to take back their communities and effectively engage in state and local politics. These events, called Post-Party Summits: Organizing for a Free America will be held in seven cities across the country.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

List of Cities, Dates and Events

• April 23-24
  Pittsburgh, PA
  Embassy Suites Pittsburgh Airport
  550 Cherrington Parkway
  Coraopolis, PA 15108
  REGISTER NOW

• April 30 – May 1
  Denver, CO
  Embassy Suites Hotel Denver Aurora
  4444 North Havana Street
  Denver, CO 80239
  REGISTER NOW

• May 14 – May 15
  Indianapolis, IN
  Wyndham Indianapolis West
  2544 Executive Drive
  Indianapolis, IN 46241
  REGISTER NOW

• May 1
  Jacksonville, FL
  Embassy Suites Jacksonville
  9300 Baymeadows Road
  Jacksonville, Florida 32256
  REGISTER NOW

• May 7-8
  Boston, MA
  Crowne Plaza Boston North Shore
  50 Ferncroft Road
  Danvers, MA 01923
  REGISTER NOW

• May 7-8
  Charlotte, NC
  Hilton Charlotte University Place
  8629 JM Keynes Drive
  Charlotte, NC 28262
  REGISTER NOW

• May 7-8
  Kansas City, MO
  Embassy Suites KC – Int. Airport
  7640 NW Tiffany Springs Parkway
  Kansas City, MO 64153
  REGISTER NOW
  

Our nation was founded by ordinary citizen activists desiring a government that was accountable to the people. Today, ordinary citizens across our nation are tired of the status quo and ready to engage for the betterment of their communities. American Majority’s political training addresses these passions by providing education and resources to help you meet your goals.

American Majority Arkansas and Americans for Prosperity Arkansas is pleased to announce an Activist Training will be conducted on Wednesday, February 26 in Mountain Home, AR to provide citizens with the tools necessary to become effective activists.

The political training will take place at the Exterior Specialties (across from First Assembly of God) located at 711 Bradley Drive in Mountain Home at the following times: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm; 4:00 – 6:00 pm; 6:30 – 8:30 pm.

Registration opens at 20 minutes before each event. The cost is $5.00 if you pre-register online and $10.00 at the door. Space is limited. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged.

Topics* to be covered during the Training include:

• Building Coalitions and Reaching Your Community (ideas and practical steps to engage your community and organize a coalition of volunteers)
• Holding Government Accountable (how to hold leaders accountable once they are in office)
• Effectively Communicating Your Views (how to write effective letters to the editor, opinion editorials and blogs, using social networking tools and wiki projects)
• Prosperity 101 (learn why freedom works, how government spending affects your family’s prosperity and job security and all about Arkansas government spending)

Full training materials, samples and supplements will be provided to help you apply what you learn to your organization, candidate, cause or community. Lunch will be provided.

If you have any questions or would like additional information, call Laurie Masterson at 501-258-6353 or e-mail laurie@americanmajority.org.

American Majority is a non-profit and non-partisan political training organization whose mission is to train and equip a national network of leaders committed to individual freedom through limited government and the free market.

* Topics are subject to change.

I first met Debra Kohl at an activist training I conducted last Friday near St Louis.  Nothing about Debra stood out at first- she was quiet during the political training sessions, attentively taking notes.  But when I sat down next to her during lunch, she told me a story:

In September, our national president Ned Ryun and director of new media Austin James conducted a similar activist training in St Louis, which Debra also attended.  During the training, Ned discussed how few Americans are registered voters, and how even fewer show up to vote on Election Day.  Later in the political training, Ned encouraged each attendee to think about one thing they could do, one specific way to implement liberty.

Debra chose voter registration.

Since September, Debra has convinced more than 100 other individuals to lead voter registration drives in their own communities, is compiling informational packets and voter guides, and just today, held her first Voter Registration Training.  At the training, she taught attendees to register voters, become poll watchers, serve as election judges, and to understand how important the voting process really is.  Twenty-one people attended her training today, and she has several more trainings already set up during the remainder of the month.  She just told me over the phone that while most of the people have been in the St Louis area, she was contacted today by a woman from Hannibal and asked to provide help to that region of the state as well.

At American Majority, we believe that national change begins at the state and local level.  Debra is a perfect example of the difference that one patriot can make, and how that difference on the local level can spread to impact the state.

Due to a winter storm that hit the Fayetteville area, this event has been postponed.  The American Majority Arkansas office will notify attendees of rescheduling information.

Our nation was founded by ordinary citizen activists desiring a government that was accountable to the people.  Today, ordinary citizens across our nation are tired of the status quo and ready to engage for the betterment of their communities.

American Majority Arkansas is pleased to announce an Activist Training will be conducted on Monday the 8^th of February in Fayetteville, AR to provide citizens with the tools necessary to become effective activists

The training will take place at the Ozarks Electric Building (Community Room) located at 3641 Wedington Drive in Fayetteville from 6:00 to 9:00pm.   Registration opens at 5:30pm.  The cost is $5.00 if you pre-register online by February 4th and $10.00 at the door.  Space is limited.  Pre-registration is strongly encouraged.

Topics* to be covered during the Training include:

• Building Coalitions and Reaching Your Community (ideas and practical steps to engage your community and organize a coalition of volunteers)
• Government 101 (how government operates, how legislative and executive bodies work, how to get involved)
• Holding Government Accountable (how to hold leaders accountable once they are in office)
• Effectively Communicating Your Views (how to write effective letters to the editor, opinion editorials and blogs, using social networking tools and wiki projects)

Full training materials, samples and supplements will be provided to help you apply what you learn to your organization, candidate, cause or community.  Refreshments and dinner will be provided.

Registration is available online by clicking here.  If you have any questions or would like additional information, call Laurie Masterson at 501-258-6353or e-mail laurie@americanmajority.org.

American Majority is a non-profit and non-partisan organization whose mission is to train and equip a national network of leaders committed to individual freedom through limited government and the free market.

* Topics are subject to change.

Due to a winter storm that hit the Rogers area, this event has been postponed.  The American Majority Arkansas office will notify attendees of rescheduling information.

Our nation was founded by ordinary citizen activists desiring a government that was accountable to the people.  Today, ordinary citizens across our nation are tired of the status quo and ready to engage for the betterment of their communities.

American Majority Arkansas is pleased to announce an Activist Training will be conducted on Monday, February 8 in Rogers, AR to provide citizens with the tools necessary to become effective activists

The training will take place at the Coke Building located at 1800 S 52^nd Street  in Rogers from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm.   Registration opens at 11:00 am.  The cost is $5.00 if you pre-register online by February 4 and $10.00 at the door.  Space is limited.  Pre-registration is strongly encouraged.

Topics* to be covered during the Training include:

• Building Coalitions and Reaching Your Community (ideas and practical steps to engage your community and organize a coalition of volunteers)
• Government 101 (how government operates, how legislative and executive bodies work, how to get involved)
• Holding Government Accountable (how to hold leaders accountable once they are in office)
• Effectively Communicating Your Views (how to write effective letters to the editor, opinion editorials and blogs, using social networking tools and wiki projects)

Full training materials, samples and supplements will be provided to help you apply what you learn to your organization, candidate, cause or community.  Refreshments and Lunch will be provided.

Registration is available online by clicking here.  If you have any questions or would like additional information, call Laurie Masterson at 501-258-6353 or e-mail laurie@americanmajority.org.

American Majority is a non-profit and non-partisan organization whose mission is to train and equip a national network of leaders committed to individual freedom through limited government and the free market.

* Topics are subject to change.

I do not pretend to be a lawyer.  While many of my friends in undergrad chose to enter the legal arena, I chose the second least honorable field: politics.  If you think about it, law and politics are inseparably woven together.  Many lawyers become politicians and many politicians need lawyers.  I promise I’ll end the sarcasm here (maybe).

Among the myriad of legal issues in the United States today, there are few as politically charged as the subject of eminent domain.  In layman’s terms, eminent domain is the act of government seizing private property when efforts to purchase the property from the owner have failed.  There can be many reasons for eminent domain, usually for the purpose of public use (utilities, roads, national defense, “economic development,” etc.), often loosely defined.  This article gives a good overview of the process.

The issue of eminent domain made headlines in 2005 when the Supreme Court decided in the 5-4 Kelo v. City of New London that it was acceptable for the city to seize private property (after negotiations to purchase the properties failed) for the purpose of selling that property to developers to redevelop an blighted (in the city’s eyes) part of town.

The case is particularly important to me because New London, CT is my hometown.  I remember as a teenager reading and watching the debates between private citizens and the unelected New London Development Corporation (a quasi-public entity who received the funds from the sale) and how the City of New London ignored the rights of property owners in favor of a dream of becoming “the next Baltimore.”  In case you were wondering, Pfizer, the pharmaceutical giant who benefited the most from the eminent domain recently decided to vacate their New London complex after a merger with Wyeth.

This was not the only time New London ran after dollar signs.  In the mid 1990s, the New London Zoning Board told my parents who had founded a small Assemblies of God church in the downtown that they could not buy any property in the city because “there were enough churches in New London.”  Never mind that such a decision violated the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment, and probably the then recently passed Religious Freedom Restoration Act (1993).  The city was in desperate need of tax revenues for its pet projects and they despised the fact that churches were tax-exempt (as they should be).  Today the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 specifically protects churches against the abuses of activist zoning boards and where there is still abuse, organizations like The Beckett Fund, Alliance Defense Fund and American Center for Law and Justice continue to win case after case in favor of religious assemblies.

Despite 43 states passing laws attempting to limit the effects of Kelo, local governments seem emboldened by the Supreme Court case.  In a January 4 column, George Will in the Washington Post wrote an op-ed about ongoing abuses in New York.  In one case, developers are trying to define condos worth close to $600,000 as blighted in effort to pave the way for a multi-billion dollar development project (including a new home for the New Jersey Nets – do not get me started on taxpayer subsidies for private stadiums).  The New York Supreme Court sided with the developers in a 6-1 decision.

Will also talks about a Columbia University attempt to expand, but was resisted by local businesses that did not want to close their doors.  The university tried to have to properties seized by the city of Manhattan by defining the properties as blighted.  Thankfully a state court held in favor of the taxpayers in this one.

The abuse isn’t just limited to New York.

• In Washington, property owners are fighting against Sea Tac who wants their land as part of a light rail line.  The owners paid over $10 million for the property, but are being offered only $8.6 million.  Now the city wants to claim the land via eminent domain.
• In Florida, a man is charging the government with deliberately lowering the value of his property in order to offer less to homeowners when the government wanted to expand the size of Everglades National Park.
• In St. Louis, the city is letting private developers clear out traditional African-American communities in order to redevelop the part of the city in the developer’s vision.
• In Corona, California the city has extended their eminent domain authority by twelve years in a move that could affect businesses across the city.

What does this mean for ordinary citizens like us?  Politicians that do not respect the Constitution rule of law and natural rights are going to be more likely to abuse the practice of eminent domain, if they decide to use it at all.  Conservatives and libertarians can hash out if there is such thing as a need for eminent domain.  My purpose is not to solve that debate.  What is clear, however, is that eminent domain abuses are on the rise and it is an issue that every voter should consider when electing local officials.

The need is great for public officials that do err on the side of the people and not special interests or bloated bureaucracies.  The stakes are high when you consider the kind of authority local governments exercise when it comes to eminent domain, but they become all the more high when you consider that many of these abusers of the public trust become candidates for higher office.  The same attitudes in Congress today are reflected in many City Councils and Town and County Commissions: the politician knows best and there’s nothing you can do to stop me.  Thankfully neither is true, particularly the latter.  All it takes is a few voters that care and a few good candidates to run.

You are Invited to Learn how YOU Can Make a Difference in Your Community!

American Majority together with the K&N Patriots is pleased to announce an Activist Training in the St Louis area on Friday, February 5^th.  This training will build upon the momentum of 2009 by answering the question “what next?” and providing practical how-to steps for keeping the liberty movement going.

The training will take place from 9:00am to 5:00pm at the Staybridge Suites at 1155 Technology Drive (Hwy K and I-64/Hwy 40) in O’Fallon, MO.  Full training materials, samples and supplements will be provided to help you apply what you learn to your organization, candidate, cause or community.

Topics to be covered during the Training include:

• Building Coalitions and Reaching Your Community(ideas and practical steps to engage your community and organize a coalition of volunteers)
• Organizing Meaningful Events(step-by-step instruction on how to organize an effective event for a cause, issue group or organization)
• Missouri Government 101(how government operates, how legislative and executive bodies work, how to get involved)
• Campaigns and Accountability(how to be an effective campaign volunteer, how to hold leaders accountable once they are in office)
• Effectively Communicating Your Views(how to write effective letters to the editor, opinion editorials and blogs, using social networking tools and wiki projects)

Registration is available online by clicking here and includes full training materials.  Registration is $25 online pre-registration prior to event, $35 at the door (if space is available, see note below).

NOTE: Space is limited to 40 attendees.  Pre-registration is the only way to reserve your seat and lunch.

If you have any questions or would like additional information, call Beka Romm at 913-940-7369 or email Rebekah@americanmajority.org.

American Majority is a non-profit and non-partisan political training organization whose mission is to train and equip a national network of leaders committed to individual freedom through limited government and the free market.  For more information, visit www.americanmajority.org, or find us on Twitter @AmericaMajority.